Fire door restraining devices



June 20, 1967 T, PRUCHA 3,325,941

FIRE DOOR RESTRAINING DEVICES Filed Oct. 4, 1965 2 Sheets$heet 1 I q I I I I .45... I 1 I I F I 3 INVENTOR. CARL T. PRUCHA W Mfy ATTORNEYS June 20, 1967 c. T. PRUCHA FIRE DOOR RESTRAINING DEVICES Filed Oct. 4, 1965 FIG.5

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,325,941 FIRE DOOR RESTRAINING DEVICES Carl T. Prucha, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Turnbull Elevator Limited, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, a company Filed Oct. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 492,723 7 Claims. (Cl. 49-7) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A restraining system for a fire door having a pin-containing component and a pin-receiving component, one component being mounted on the door and the other on the door frame, the pin-containing component having a heat-actuated, spring-loaded pin therein which is partially driven into the pin-receiving component upon actuation.

This invention relates to improvements in fire doors, and in particular, to a construction of fire doors incorporated into horizontally sliding doors such as hall doors on passenger elevators, which provide adequate protection between the hallways and the elevator shaft.

It is well known that in the case of fire in a building an elevator shaft may act as a chimney with the resulting draft disastrously promoting the fire and spreading it to other fioors unless tight, fire-proof doors are provided at each landing. Thus, most building and elevator codes require on each landing a fire door which is so constructed that it will come up to certain basic test standards. The test which has been adopted to prove these fire doors is to heat a sample door assembly in its frame on one of its faces to a specified temperature for a specified length of time and then subsequently cool the highly heated door with a jet of water sprayed from a hose. Essentially, there are three requirements for which the door is inspected during the test and after it is completed. Firstly, the door or doors must have remained intact throughout the whole test. Secondly, the door or doors must not have been released at any time from their guide tracks. Thirdly, at no time should the door or doors have separated from the face of the mounting wall more than a small specified amount at the point of separation.

There has been no problem associated with the finding and using of a material which will allow the doors to remain intact throughout the test. It has been much more difficult, however, to build an elevator fire door which would come up to the second and third requirements of the fire test which has been specified by most building and elevator codes. Referring to the possibility of a door releasing from its guides, during the fire test the door assembly might elongate through heat expansion in the order of one inch. Rapid cooling of the doors and not the frames by a jet of cold water results in the door contracting this one inch and releasing from the guides since the frame stays in its hot and expanded state. This is a very common occurrence since the overlap in present doors is usually in the order of one-half inch. It has been found to be not practical to make the sill guides deeper. Another failure during fire in a standard type of elevator hall door rests in melting out of the extruded aluminium, which is often used for sill construction, with no restraint then being provided for the doors. Referring to possible separation of the door from the face of the mounting, such separation has been found to be virtually impossible to prevent in elevator hall fire doors heretofore constructed because of the intense warping brought on by the heated or fire side of the door being exposed to more than 1700 F., with resulting expansion thereof, while the other side of the door, where no fire has been burning, remains considerably cooler.

3,325,941 Patented June 20, 1967 Many attempts have been made to construct an elevator hall fire door which will not release from guides or warp more than the amount specified by building and elevator codes but none of the doors constructed have been completely successful in coming up to the rigid requirements of the fire tests set forth in these codes. A number of doors have been built with sliding outer panels or skins so that the hot and cold sides do not stress each other. With this type of door it has been found that in order to make sliding easy enough to prevent warpage the doors cannot be made stiff and strong enough structurally. Other designs of elevator fire doors have utilized heat insulating materials either on the hois-tway or fire side of the door, assuming a fire to be in the hoistway, to maintain the temperature of this side as low as possible, or on the hall side of the door to allow it and the fire side of the door to heat as uniformly as possible. These insulating methods not only increase the cost and weight of doors considerably but also, by improper placing of insulation, often actually act to increase the warping effect, such as when insulating fibres are placed between outer metal panels, thereby increasing the temperature differential between the panels. At the very best, it has been found that utilization of insulation lessens but never prevents Warping.

The novel elevator hall fire door arrangement of the present invention substantially avoids all the foregoing disadvantages inherent in fire doors heretofore constructed by providing a novel restraining device comprising a heatactuated pin member and a pin receiving member, one member being located on the door and the other member located on the surface against which the door closes, with actuation of the device resulting in a secure restraint of the door in a closed position.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a restraining device for a fire door which acts to securely hold the door in a closed position while substantially preventing the door from separating from its mounting wall.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a novel restraining system for sliding fire doors which is automatically operated under excessive heat to hold the door against the frame on which it is mounted while substantially eliminating undesirable warping of the door.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accornapnying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 illustrates, in elevation, a single speed hall door located in a wall separating a hall and an elevator shaft and containing a restraining system embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged broken view of a horizontal section of the door illustrated in FIGURE 1, taken on line 2-2 thereof, and showing details of the restraining system;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view of an embodiment of the heat-actuated, pin containing component of the invention;

FIGURE 4 shows an elevational view of the restraining system of the present invention embodied in centre opening elevator hall doors;

FIGURE 5 depicts an enlarged, broken, sectional view on line 5-5 of the doors shown in FIGURE 4 illustrating details of the restraining system;

FIGURE 6 is an elevational view of two speed elevator hall doors containing another embodiment of the restraining system of the invention; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, broken, sectional view on line 77 of FIGURE 5 showing details of the restraining system associated with the elevator hall doors.

Generally speaking, the present invention relates to a restraining device for a fire door which comprises a pin containing first component and a pin receiving second component associated with the door. One of the components is mounted on the fire door and the other, component is mounted on the frame or member on which the door closes, with each being located so that the pin is received by the pin receiving component. The pin-containing component comprises a chamber which normally contains the pin slidably located therein and a heat actuated pin driving mechanism. The driving mechanism is so arranged that it is actuated upon excessive rise in temperature with the pin being then driven into the pin receiving component and the door thusly being securely restrained against the frame or member on which the door closes. The whole restraining device is arranged to allow only a portion of the pin to be driven into the pin receiving component while leaving a portion of the pin in the pin containing first component.

The construction of the restraining device of the invention is best illustrated with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings. Referring to FIGURE 1, a single speed elevator hall door and frame is shown with restraining devices embdoying the invention associated therewith. FIGURE 2 illustrates a section through the door and associated frame on line 22 of FIGURE 1. The door is hung on track 11 and moves along the track 11 by way of rollers 12, with the rollers being so arranged as to be not releasable from the track 11 upon expansion of the door 10 upwardly. The door 10 is located directly behind door frame portions 13 and 14 located on wall 15. The hall door 10 is shown in the closed position with its leading edge 16 abutting extension 17 of the door frame portion 14. Trailing edge 18 of the door 10 has a section 19 of U-shaped cross section integraltherewith which interlocks in the closed position with a section 20 extending from the door frame portion 13. The leading edge 16 of the door 10 contains a heat actuatable pin 21 (shown actuated in FIG- URES 1 and 2) which is aligned with a hole 22 in the door frame extension 17. Heat from a fire causes the pin to be actuated and to be driven into and engage the hole 22 in the door frame.

A number of heat actuatable devices may be utilized for firing the pin into the door frame and FIGURE 3 shows one form of heat-actuated pin containing component embodying the invention. Pin 23 shown in FIGURE 3 is slidably located in a cylinder 24, in turn located in door 25, with a compressed driving spring 26 positionedbehind the pin 23. The pin and spring are normally held within the cylinder 24'by means of a metal element or plug 27, located in end hole 28 of the cylinder 24. The plug 27 is fabricated from an alloy which melts rapidly when excessive temperatures are reached. When the plug 27 melts, the spring 26 extends quickly to drive the pin 23 into the pin receiving hole, as illustrated in FIGURE 2. The pin 23 has an enlarged portion 29 which slidably fits in the cylinder 24 and which abuts against end wall 30 of the cylinder upon release of the spring, thereby preventing the pin 23 from being driven any further. The pressure of the spring 26 against the pin 23 after actuation holds the pin in a restraining position.

Other heat actuatable procedures may be utilized for driving the restraining pin into position, such as for example, the use of a small amount of black powder charge loaded in the pin containing cylinder behind the pin. A sufficient rise in temperature causes the powder charge to fire and thereby drive the pin into the pin receiving hole, the metal plug being replaced by a thin, easily broken disk. Also a pin and cylinder arrangement can be utilized with a readily vaporizable material, such as water, wax or grease, packed behind the pin, with the pin being driven out upon excessive rise in temperature and vaporization of the packing material.

In FIGURES 2 and 3 the cylinder and pin arrangement is shown located in an elevator door and the pin receiving hole .in the door frame. Location of the cylinder and contained pin can, of course, be arranged on a side of the door and a receiving structure for the pin can be located, if desired, on the side of the frame.

Under certain circumstances it may be desirable that the bottom edge of the door contain a heat actuatable device similar to that contained in the leading edge of the door, which, upon excessive rise in temperature, propels a pin through a hole in the door sill thereby looking the bottom of the door to the sill. With such an arrangement, however, a means for unlocking the sill pin must be included so that the door can be readily opened after having been restrained by actuation of the devices afore-described.

Referring to FIGURE 2, it can be seen that the interlocking sections at the trailing edge of the door 10 combined with the restraining pin on the leading edge of the door combine to prevent separation of the door from the face of the mounting wall and at the same time prevent warping of the door by restraining it against the door frame on all edges. Dimensions of the interlocking sections and the locking pin are arranged so that the door is retained against the frame even when the door height or width increases or decreases relative to the frame due to heat from a fire combined with the chilling effects of water used in combatting the fire.

FIGURES 4 and 5 show the fire door restraining system of the invention modified for centre opening elevator hall doors, FIGURE 5 being an enlarged, broken sectional view through line 5-5 of FIGURE 4. Doors 30 and 31 are shown hung on track 32 by way of rollers 33, with the doors openingfrom the centre in opposite directions. The doors are located behind door frame 34 which is attached to wall 35. Trailing edges 36 of the doors 30 and 31 have portions 37 integral therewith which are U-shaped in cross section and which, with the doors in the closed position, interlock with sections 38 on the door frame 34.

The leading edge of the door 30 contains a heat actuatable device 39 similar to that described in conjunc-, tion with FIGURES l, 2 and 3 of the drawings. The device 39 contains a pin 40 which is aligned with a hole 41 in the door 31 and which is shown in the actuated position. The pin 40 is released by heat in a manner similar to that described in conjunction with pin 23 shown in FIGURE 3. The bottom edges of both doors 30 and 31 may, if desired, have heat actuatable devices contained therein for restraining the doors against the sill as described hereinbefore.

In the novel restraining system of the invention adapted for centre opening elevator hall doors, as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and .5, it'can be seen that the combination of the interlocking sections 37 and 38 at the trailing edges of the doors and the heat actuable device 39 restraining the leading edges of the doors provides an arrangement whereby warping of the doors from excessive heat and separation of the doors from the face of the mounting wall are substantially eliminated.

Referring now to FIGURES 6 and 7, FIGURE 6 illustrates in elevation a setof two-speed elevator hall doors, with the doors opening in the same direction. FIGURE 7 is an enlarged, broken, sectional view of the elevator doors on line 77 of FIGURE 5. Fast door 42 and slow door 43 are mounted on and run on tracks 44 by way of rollers 45, with the rollers being mounted so as not to release upon raising or expansion of the doors 42 and 43. Door frame 46 is shown attached to wall 47, with door frame portions 48 and 49 being illustrated in FIGURE 6. Trailing edge 50 of the fast door 42 has a section 51 integral therewith which interlocks with a section 52 integral with the leading edge of the slow door 43. Trailing edge 53 of the slow door 43 has a section 54 integral therewith which interlocks with a section 55 on the door frame portion 48. Leading edge 56 of the fast door 42 has aheat actuatable device 57 attached therein containing a pin 58 which is aligned with a hole 59 in extension 60 of the door frame portion 49. The heat actuatable device 57 is similar to that described in conjunction with FIGURE 3 and the pin 58 is shown in the actuated position in the hole 59.

The bottom edge of one or both of doors 42 and 43 may, if desired, contain a heat actuatable device for restraining the doors against the sill, as afore-described.

The adaptation of the restraining system of the invention to two-speed elevator hall doors is seen to allow restraining of the doors one to the other and restraining of each door against the door frame by way of the interlocking sections 51 and 52 between the doors, the interlocking sections 54 and 55 at the trailing edges of the doors and the restraining device 57 which restrains the fast door against the door frame. In view of the fact that the two doors 42 and 43 are held together by sections 51 and 52, a restraining device in the door 43 is found to be not absolutely necessary.

It can be seen that the locking devices shown in conjunction with the two-speed elevator hall doors illustrated in FIGURES 6 and 7 act to substantially eliminate warping in the doors and separation of the doors from the mounting wall.

It is to be noted that the restraining devices, instead of being arranged with the pin containing first component on the leading edge of the door and the pin receiving second component on the door frame, can be alternatively arranged with the pin containing component located on the door frame and the pin receiving component on the leading edge of the door. The pin would then be actuated from the frame or sill into the door. Although the invention has been illustrated with only one heat actuatable device installed in an edge of a door, two or more devices can be installed in the leading edge, or in the bottom edge of a door, if desired, to provide even more secure fastening of the door to the mounting wall. Any holes in frames, doors and sills can be plugged, if desired, to prevent tampering, with thin metal, plastic or rubber bumpers, or, possibly, by a spring actuated cover plate, opening inwardly and biased to the closed position. It can be appreciated that the restraining pins in the heat actuatable devices should advantageously be fabricated of a high strength, heat-resistant steel in keeping with the high temperature characteristics of the door.

Although by the present invention heavy and costly insulation of elevator hall fire doors can be eliminated this is not to say that thin insulation cannot be used, such as on the hall side of elevator hall doors containing the herein described locking devices, to reduce to some degree the temperature of a door subjected to the effects of fire. Thus, an insulating paint, which foams upon over-heating into a light insulating layer, can be used with advantage on doors fitted with the locking devices of the present invention.

The locking devices of the present invention have been described in combination with elevator hall fire doors but they may be utilized with any similar type of hung, sliding doors, such as sliding doors used in small storage rooms or in storage warehouses and shipping rooms. The locking devices are also very useful when installed in conjunction with swinging single and double doors.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A restraining device for a sliding fire door, acting to prevent the door from bowing, comprising a pin containing first component and a pin receiving second component, one of the two components being mounted on the fire door and the other component being mounted on a member against which the door closes and each component being mounted in a plane parallel to that of the door, said pin receiving component being mounted in a location to receive said pin and said pin-containing component comprising a chamber normally containing the pin, slidably located therein in a plane parallel to the plane of the door, and a heat actuated pin driving mechanism associated with the chamber, said driving mechanism being adapted to be actuated upon excessive rise in temperature and being adapted to drive the pin in a plane parallel to the plane of the door into the pin receiving component upon said actuation, and said restraining device being adapted to allow only a portion of the pin to be driven into the pin receiving component upon actuation while leaving a portion of the pin retained in the pin containing component to thereby securely restrain the door against the member against which the door closes and prevent bowing of the door inwardly or outwardly.

2. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is installed with a single sliding elevator hall door having a leading edge and a trailing edge and sliding in a frame and wherein the restraining device is installed with one component on the leading edge of the door and the other component on the frame.

3. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 2 wherein the pin containing first component of the restraining device is located on the door and the pin receiving second component of the restraining device is located on the frame against which the door closes.

4. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is installed with centre opening sliding elevator hall doors having leading edges and trailing edges and sliding in a frame and wherein the restraining device is installed with one component on the leading edge of one door and the other component on the leading edge of the other door meeting the one door at the centre opening.

5. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 1 wherein the device is installed with a two speed sliding elevator hall door system opening in one direction having a fast door and a slow door, each having a leading edge and a trailing edge, and sliding in a frame and wherein the restraining device is installed with one component on the leading edge of the fast door and the other component on the frame.

6. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 5 wherein the pin containing first component of the restraining device is located on the fast door and the pin receiving second component of the restraining device is located on the frame against which the first door closes.

7. A restraining device for a sliding fire door as claimed in claim 1 wherein the heat actuated driving mechanism is a compressed spring adapted to drive the pin from the chamber combined with a heat fusible restraining member in the chamber, retaining the pin in the chamber and the spring in the compressed position and adapted to melt and release the spring and pin upon excessive rise in temperature.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 832,458 11/1906 Cossey 49-100 X 1,050,699 1/1913 Schmitt 49-472 2,114,756 4/1938 Wasberg 49-472 X 2,925,895 2/1960 Heisler 49-1 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Examiner. J. KARL BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RESTRAINING DEVICE FOR A SLIDING FIRE DOOR, ACTING TO PREVENT THE DOOR FROM BOWING, COMPRISING A PIN CONTAINING FIRST COMPONENT AND A PIN RECEIVING SECOND COMPONENT, ONE OF THE TWO COMPONENTS BEING MOUNTED ON THE FIRE DOOR AND THE OTHER COMPONENT BEING MOUNTED ON A MEMBER AGAINST WHICH THE DOOR CLOSES AND EACH COMPONENT BEING MOUNTED IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THAT OF THE DOOR, SAID PIN RECEIVING COMPONENT BEING MOUNTED IN A LOCATION TO RECEIVE SAID PIN AND SAID PIN-CONTAINING COMPONENT COMPRISING A CHAMBER NORMALLY CONTAINING THE PIN, SLIDABLY LOCATED THEREIN IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR, AND A HEAT ACTUATED PIN DRIVING MECHANISM ASSOCIATED WITH THE CHAMBER, SAID DRIVING MECHANISM BEING ADAPTED TO BE ACTUATED UPON EXCESSIVE RISE IN TEMPERATURE AND BEING ADAPTED TO DRIVE THE PIN IN A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF THE DOOR INTO THE PIN RECEIVING COMPONENT UPON SAID ACTUATION, AND SAID RESTRAIN- 